


Death and the Princess

by LaVidaMochaIV



Category: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Genre: Día de los Muertos | Day of the Dead, F/M, Halloween
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:40:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25803016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaVidaMochaIV/pseuds/LaVidaMochaIV
Summary: Halloween Town's own Pumpkin Princess is suffering the same melancholy as her father once did, until her attentions turn towards a holiday seemingly similar to her own yet entirely different...
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My original character May Lin began life as a NBC self-insert, & on July 13, 2020 I celebrated the 15th Anniversary of her initial conception.  
> This project was something I wanted to do as a teen but was afraid to due to the social stigma of fan fiction. Since then I've changed a lot as a person & I'm learning to appreciate the art of writing not for commercial success, but as a coping mechanism in difficult times & a creative means to reach out to a fan community.

Another year, another Halloween, another round of applause.

The echoed screaming of trick-or-treaters and other hapless mortals were still fresh in the minds of every ghoul, ghost and monster of Halloween Town. Fresh and memorable as an enjoyably catchy song.

So why did the Pumpkin Princess feel so empty?

One Jack Skellington stood tall and proud at the town plaza fountain, with his wife Sally and his daughter May at his side, all the frightful residents applauding yet another successful Halloween.

“Thank you, everyone!” Jack proudly declared. “Of course I want to thank you all for your fantastic effort out there! I know I say this every year, but I swear it just gets more horrifying and disgusting! Congratulations!”

The frightful denizens roared with elation, the witches letting out jovial cackles and the werewolves unleashing celebratory howls.

“But this year I’d like to give a special thanks to our very own Pumpkin Princess, May Skellington!” Jack added as he held his daughter’s shoulders, as if to bring her into the spotlight a little more.

There was another cheer, but May reluctantly glanced to the side as Sally Skellington’s clapping was the most eager of all. Her little girl was all grown up.

May looked back out to the crowd. All eyes were on her. She found herself having a hard time breathing. She wanted to get out, but she didn’t know how without drawing further attention to herself or disappointing her parents.

“Now, everyone!” the Mayor announced on his vehicle-mounted megaphone. “Time to give out the prizes!”

Everyone’s head turned in the direction of his automobile, and May saw an opportunity as she quietly slinked away.

It wasn’t until the Mayor announced the nominations for “Most Elusive Specter” that Jack and Sally realized their daughter had seemingly vanished.

May had slipped away to the graveyard and sat down on the ground with her back against the stone wall.

For reasons she herself couldn’t understand she felt more lonely in a crowd than she did in solitude. She only had everything that a young ghoul in her position could possibly need. A chance to perform every year, applause, and adoration. So why did it ache inside so much?

Jack and Sally’s little Pumpkin Princess was a rag doll much like her mother, made from scraps of cloth and bits of flesh. Although May was stuffed primarily with cotton and she had long black hair instead of red. Now she was a young woman of about nineteen years by ghoul standards. Most of her seams were well-hidden underneath her ghostly white peasant dress, save for a line of stitches that went vertically down the right side of her face through her eye.

She found it hard to relate to others. It wasn’t just her position as the Pumpkin Princess, but also the citizens of Halloween Town could only ever take about all things spooky, what they would do for next Halloween, and always inserting how wonderful they thought she was. She didn’t want to be so ungrateful. She was flattered that her skills often inspired them to want to do better.

It was true, May was a talented dancer and put that skill to work every year, playing the role of an alluring specter who reveals an angry, vengeful face once a foolish mortal gets close enough.

The problem was she wasn’t satisfied with what she did. Every year it amounted to what felt like cheap scares and it would just be the same thing next year. Worse still was that her parents did not share in her discontent. They were always so happy and cheerful in keeping to their traditions.

In the distance she spotted the lovely Spiral Hill. She had always been told that it could potentially lead to an area where one could come into contact with the other holidays. Hence traveling beyond was prohibited.

May heard an echoed barking and saw a glow approaching her as her father’s ghostly canine Zero had emerged from his grave to greet her. Sensing that she was feeling down, he nuzzled her arm and May smiled as she returned the sentiment with a hug and a quick scratch behind the ears.

She decided it was time to head back home.


	2. Chapter 2

Back at the Skellington residence May sat on the faded red sofa in front of the fireplace with Zero curled up next to her, dozing off as the corners of his ghostly sheet occasionally twitched as he dreamed about chasing bats.

She heard the front door open.

“May? Are you home?” Sally called out as she and Jack made their way up the spiral staircase.

“Yes! I’m home!” May responded.

“Oh, good! I was a little worried,” Sally sighed with relief.

“You missed your award ceremony, May!” Jack proclaimed as he held up a silver medal. “‘Most Elusive Specter’!” Jack beamed as he handed it to his daughter. “You should be proud!”

May looked at her reflection in the medal in a melancholy way. _I should, shouldn’t I…?_

“Were you here this whole time?” Sally questioned.

“Yeah,” May lied. “It’s just… It’s just been a very tiring night. I needed to rest a little.”

“Okay, kiddo,” Jack replied. “I understand.”

May tilted her medal back and forth, her reflection warping against the stamped lettering.

She turned around to see her mother was getting started on dinner while her father was looking through his library, already collecting books to find ideas for next Halloween.

“Papa?” May questioned, her voice small as she was almost afraid to ask him this.

Jack paused from search, stepping down the ladder with three books in the crook of his arm. “What is it, May?”

“Do you—” Her voice briefly gave out, so she cleared her throat as if to physically work up the courage. “Do you ever… stay in touch with the other holidays?”

Jack raised one brow in unpleasant surprise, while Sally froze, accidentally pouring too much Worm’s Wart to the pasta sauce.

“Why would you ask such a thing?” Jack questioned. “You know very well contact with other holidays is forbidden!”

“Why not?” May stood up as she suggested, “We could learn so much from them, and—”

“And put ourselves in mortal danger!” Jack reminded. He set his books on his desk and brought May over to the window, looking over the town with Spiral Hill in the distance. “We remain in Halloween Town because trying to mix with other holidays can only lead to disaster!”

“I didn’t mean ‘mixing’, I meant just—”

“No, May! It’s out of the question! End of story!” He gathered his books and angrily retreated to his study, slamming the door.

“… just a visit…” May turned to her mother, who had to add more Witch Hazel to balance out the flavor for the sauce. “Mama, you understand, right? I don’t mean I…”

Sally rubbed at her eyes and looked up at her daughter, a look of undeniable terror on her face. “May, your father’s right. You can’t risk it.” She resumed stirring the sauce. “First you develop an infatuation with another holiday, next you’ll be wanting to do ‘your own version’ of the holiday. Then before you know it the people you care about are almost murdered by a burlap ghoul made of bugs!” Sally’s stirring had gotten so violent it had splattered on both her and May’s cheeks.

Sally calmed herself down as May wiped some of the sauce from her face, confused as to how those events go together. “What? What are you talking about, Mama?”

“Oh, it’s nothing you need to worry about.” Sally wiped May’s cheeks with the corner of her apron. Still she doted on her daughter like she was a child. “My point is you don’t need other holidays. You’re fine here, and you do a wonderful job at Halloween every year.”

May rolled her eyes, afraid that was the answer she’d get. “I know…”

“Oh, sweetie…” Sally had seen this kind of ennui before. “We know what you’re going through. We really do. But these feelings won’t last forever. Give it a few days, maybe weeks. You’ll be back to your usual spooky self once again.”

May gave her mother a half-smile. She appreciated her attempt to reassure her.

Sally chuckled at the mess she made. “Go wash up. Dinner will be ready in about an hour.”

May retreated to her room, and sighed in frustration as she leaned against the door as she shut it. Of course, they wouldn’t understand. She didn’t know why she bothered asking them to begin with.

She glanced over at her balcony window. With her partially opened drapes she could still see Spiral Hill from where she stood. 

She moved her curtains aside. _I wonder if Snake will understand…_


	3. Chapter 3

After everyone had a few days to rest up from another successful Halloween, the Witches decided to host a party in celebration that their own teenage daughter Natasha made her big frightful debut this year.

Several of Halloween Town’s ghoulish families would host these things for their children. They were known as De-boo-tante Balls, albeit not nearly as elitist and stuffy as debutante balls in the mortal realm. As per tradition the Mayor would let the celebrating families rent out town hall as long as he supervised the decorating committee. He would be a panic if even a floorboard was scratched.

Unfortunately Jack and Sally couldn’t make it that night, so May had to go as the family representative.

At least May had a semi-formal dress for the occasion. Sometimes attendees would dress in costume, so May had a fun little number that she called “Night of the Living Revolutionary.” It was a colonial-era style of dress that was purposefully torn in several places with bloodstains, and the long skirt was ripped along the side to show off a set of pantaloons. Part of it was for the mobility, but also she always found it hilarious that such modest dress by modern standards would have been considered so scandalous back in the day.

The party itself wasn’t so bad. May wasn’t the girl of the hour this time, so she could safely hang back all night if she wanted.

However there was someone that she wanted to see, and that was her old friend Snake-Eyes.

Snake-Eyes, or Snake, was May’s closest friend, and even then they weren’t as close as May would have liked. He was yet another Halloween Town citizen whom May had difficulty relating to, as he prided himself on scaring people with his menagerie of pet serpents. Jack often spoke very favorably of him, almost as though he wanted to marry May off to him in the near-future.

As the party was in its “casual mingle” phase, May spotted him at the punch bowl.

As his name suggested he was part human and part snake, formerly a promising young scientist until a biochemical accident. Snake was a lean, frightful creature covered in sickly green and yellow scales in various places, with his long greasy black hair covering up the left side of his face where he was missing an eye from when the glass lab equipment had exploded. He even still wore the tattered white lab coat from that night.

For the occasion his hair tied back at the end so as to look a little more formal but still conceal his missing eye, and he traded his tattered lab coat for a green tuxedo.

May helped herself to some punch as well, making sure she didn’t get any parts of the severed hand that was floating in it.

“Well!” Snake declared. “If it isn’t Halloween Town’s Most Elusive Specter! So elusive that she didn’t accept her own award!”

May rolled her eyes. She wasn’t in the mood for his ribbing.

“Oh, come now! You know I’m teasing!” Snake seemed to have a permanent grin, as such he never seemed displeased or unhappy. He was always enjoying himself in some way. 

May glanced to the side.

“What’s the trouble, Scraps?” Snake inquired as he affectionately lifted her chin. “You don’t look your usual spooky self. Tell me. What’s the problem?”

May cautiously looked around and pulled him aside to a less crowded corner of the room.

“Don’t tell anyone I said this,” May quietly asked, “but have you ever thought of visiting any of the other holidays?”

Snake looked at her in a surprised and perplexed manner. “And just why would you want to do that?”

“I don’t know! I’m just curious is all!”

Snake’s eyes seemed to glaze over. “May, my dear, you can’t be serious. You have everything you could possibly need here.”

“That’s not the point. I just think it might be a good idea to learn more about—”

“May, darling, did you speak with your dad about it?”

“Yes.”

“And what did he say?”

“No.”

Snake nodded. “As he should. He has forbidden contact with the other holidays for a reason.”

“Not that he’s ever _explained_ that reason…” May grumbled.

“May, your dad is the Pumpkin King,” Snake elaborated as he tucked May’s hair away from her face. “You’ve got so much influence and responsibility headed your way. So much that could go wrong with one false move, and you wouldn’t want to let him down, now would you?”

May said nothing.

“I didn’t think so. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a teenage witch to congratulate.”

He walked away and May was not happy. She let out a resigned sigh and resumed her duties as royal wallflower, trying not to sulk too much.

She had very much hoped that Snake would at least hear her out on her discontent, if not maybe help snoop around to find access to the other holidays. However that certainly wasn’t going to happen.

May slowly scanned the room as she finished her punch. Dejected, she contemplated leaving early.

However that was when she spotted someone she had never seen before.

Chatting it up with the Hangman Tree and his entourage of Hangmen was a skeleton man who still had a head of brownish-black hair. His black jacket had these vibrant marigold accents, but was also singed with several holes in it, like he had been on the receiving end of a firing squad.

May walked in his direction, compelled to want to talk to him.

She stood behind him, and nervously cleared her throat to get his attention. He turned around, and for a moment May suddenly found herself breathless. 

He had no eyes in his sockets, but in lieu of pupils were these small blue lights, like a pair of enchanted candles that moved with his line of vision. Upon his skull were these beautiful ornate patterns carvings, like a skeleton equivalent of face tattoos.

She quickly snapped herself out of her smitten daze, trying to find a topic of conversation as the Hangman Tree edged itself away, guessing that these kids probably wanted to be alone while the swaying Hangmen gave May a thumbs-up.

“So, uh… what brings _you_ here?” May asked. “Are you family of Natasha’s?”

“No. Actually…” He cautiously leaned in with a wily look in his eyes. “I’m a party-crasher.”

“Oh, really?” May smiled coyly. “Do I have to report you to the chaperone?”

The man chuckled. “Oh, no! Don’t do that! Mi papá would never let me borrow his car again!”

They both laughed, making sure no one was listening in.

“But, seriously, if you don’t know anyone then what brings you here?” May asked.

The man shrugged. “Eh? Honestly, I just wanted to see what everyone was headed here for. So is this like a birthday party?”

“No, not really.” He must have been new here if this was the first De-boo-tante Ball he had seen.

“Oh. Because everything looked extravagantly spooky here. I thought it was a birthday.”

“Yes.” May observed the slightly excessive use of spiderwebs for the decorations. “They might have gone a little overboard, but they do have a lot to be proud of.” May’s focus returned to Natasha up on the stage, where her moms were giving very loving congratulatory speeches in her honor.

The man smiled. “Oh, I see. That’s so sweet.” He swirled around his own glass of punch. “I only ever get to see my mamá once a year.”

“How come?”

The man slightly struggled for a believable explanation. “Would you believe… the gate only opens once a year?”

“Hmm. Sounds rough. That you don’t get to see her that often.”

“Yeah.” He seemed a little sad at first. “But there’s still my little sister! She just turned thirteen!”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” May observed his ensemble again. “So what’s with the outfit? Is that a costume or did you actually die by firing squad?”

“Oh, this!” It took him a moment to realize she was talking about his singed jacket. “It’s a costume. I mean, I _was_ shot, but not in this. And it wasn’t that many bullets.”

May stifled a giggle as she wasn’t sure if he was serious or if it was a dark joke.

The man seemed to realize he had forgotten something. “Oh, right! I haven’t—” He cleared his throat. “I’m Alejandro.”

May playfully gave a curtsy and bowed her head, seeing as how she was dressed for it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m May. So, what do _you_ do?”

“Well, I… play piano,” Alejandro shrugged.

May eyed him suspiciously. “I meant for Halloween.”

“Oh!” He nervously glanced to the side. “Well, you see, I—”

There was some unexpected feedback noise as their attention returned to the stage, where the Witches were joined by the Mayor with his distressed face on.

The Mayor took to the podium as the Tall Witch passed him the microphone. 

“Attention, everyone!” he announced. “We have received reports of a non-resident entering Halloween Town. Eye-witnesses confirmed that they saw the stranger come through the pumpkin patch and elude apprehension. If you see any suspicious individuals, please report them immediately.”

The crowd gasped in concern, and behind May the one called Alejandro was quietly sneaking away. May turned and barely saw him rushing into the lobby.

Alejandro wanted to make his way for the exit, but he heard someone behind him so he ducked behind the coat check counter before they spotted him.

Fortunately for him it was only May. She was about to check behind the counter when she heard four members of the gargoyle security staff headed her way and she bolted around in alarm.

“Excuse me, Princess?” asked the deadpan gargoyle with the pug-like nose. “Have you seen anyone suspicious come this way?”

“I think I saw someone head outside!” May lied as she pointed at the town hall’s main doors.

“Much appreciated, Princess.”

May watched as the guards flew out the door, remaining still until they were completely out of sight.

She leaned over the counter and she still couldn’t see Alejandro, save for the elbow of his jacket. He had apparently taken himself apart to fit himself into the shelves.

She rapped her knuckles on the counter. “They’re gone.”

Alejandro spilled out onto the floor in pieces but his skeleton body pulled itself back together in no time. 

He leaped over the counter and looked at May with a knowing smirk on his face. “Aren’t you gonna get in trouble for helping me like this, _Princess_?” he teased.

May lightly smacked his arm and he laughed. “Come on. There’s a back door.”

They darted through the hall, only pausing when they thought they heard others approaching and May kept Alejandro back.

“You’re from another holiday, aren’t you?” she whispered.

“Eh, yeah. I am,” Alejandro admitted with a slightly embarrassed shrug.

“So what brings you to ours?”

“That’s kind of a long story…”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

The coast was clear so she took him by the arm and continued through the hall.

“Hey, party-crashing is one thing! I didn’t think you’d take kindly to an out-of-towner.”

“I’m helping you, am I not?”

“True.”

They found the back door that was usually reserved for the janitorial staff that would come and eat any excess cockroaches residing in the building.

“They’ll probably be looking for you at the Pumpkin Patch,” May advised. She opened the door and she continued, “Take the main gate to the graveyard. The tombstones should make for good cover and there are plenty of mausoleums you can duck into. You know the way home, right?”

“Yeah. I left a trail in the woods. Should clean that up on my way…” Alejandro stepped outside and paused. “I really appreciate this.”

He was about to make a run for it but she stopped him. “Wait!” She took his hand, as she realized this might be her last chance. “I want to see you again.”

Alejandro gave her hand a light squeeze. “I do, too. I--”

They both heard footfalls behind May, making their way towards them.

Alejandro gave May a light peck on the cheek. “Muchas gracias, princesa.”

He rushed off.

May shut the door before the approaching ghouls, the Reaper and his wife the Apple Hag, could see what had transpired. She ran in their direction, telling them she heard someone climbing to the catwalks to throw them off once more.

After they left she noticed that at her feet was something almost glowing. She picked it up and it was a single flower petal, a vibrant shade of orange that was nothing at all like the dull-hued decor of the town and that matched the trimming on Alejandro’s jacket.

She hoped he would make it back home safely. She leaned against the wall in relief, and found herself blushing as it finally occurred to her that he had kissed her.


End file.
